An Open Letter to the Exhausted Parents of Small Children
What is it about having small children that prompts strangers to offer unsolicited words of wisdom? No, kind lady at Target, I’m not sure I want to hear your birthing story—though I’m sure it’s got the entertainment value of an action film—I’d prefer my curious seven-year-old not have... Read More
The Humbling Moments of Raising a Strong-Willed Child
My son peed on my friend’s pants. It wasn’t an “Ooops!-My-lil’-sweet-pea’s-diaper-leaked-some tee-tee!” kinda-pee. My almost-three-year-old pulled down his pants, set up his aim with precision, and fire-hosed the folded jeans. Every parent has laughable potty-training stories. But this incident wasn’t just a learning-bladder-control mishap; it was a desperate... Read More
Just Put Away the Ugly Blanket
Well, friends. I may have done something halfway decent as a mama today. Hold your applause, because there’s ample time left for me to mess up my girls to the tune of thousands in therapy costs, but today…today, I actually paused before disciplining my seven-year-old, Lilah. Now. If... Read More
It’s Tough Raising Little Humans
“It’s tough raising little humans.” This is what my husband and I tell each other on a fairly regular basis. Granted, we haven’t had experiences raising any other kind of species, but in our limited experience, humans seem particularly challenging. Because it’s the actual raising of kids that... Read More
Tiny Crazy Mouths
It’s February. The holidays are over. All [most] of the Christmas decorations are packed away. The family goals for the New Year are written on the back of a Chik-Fil-A napkin and taped to the fridge…and for about 15 minutes, I get to sit on the sofa and... Read More
Surviving Ezzy
I was the perfect mother. I mean, anyone could be—if they just read the books like I did and maintained a schedule like I did. If they had boundaries with their children. If they stood their ground . . . If they would just work the system, they... Read More
Christmas Wonder
I already consider this Christmas a win for our family. Our boys were able to visit Santa, and sit on his lap, shedding exactly zero tears. Total success. I could stand back and simply observe as my boys so effortlessly experienced the wonder of the season. Not just... Read More
Birth - 5 years | Family Activities
The Happiest Place on Earth
Not long ago my family took a trip to the happiest place on earth—Disney World. The vacation was a success with minimal meltdowns, uncontrollable giddiness and excitement, bit still a reasonable (enough) amount of sleep. Plus, there was magic. But it wasn’t just the magic of Mickey and... Read More
Birth - 5 years | Elementary (K-5th) | Family Life
Sibling Warfare
Three years ago, when I found out I was pregnant with my second boy, I was relieved. I already had one, so the immediate thought in my mind was, “I got this. I know boys. This will be my oldest son—version 2.0.” But literally, from the moment I... Read More
Birth - 5 years | Elementary (K-5th) | Fight For The Heart
The Words that Stick
We lived for a few solid years in our family not having to really watch our words. We could have conversations about dessert, fun places to go, and toys. And our toddlers would be none the wiser. But this past year, we turned a corner. We’ve started spelling.... Read More